Shifting-post binder



A. R. MEYER ET AL'. SHIFTING Pos'r BINDER,

FILED JUNE I8, 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,479

3 SHEETS'SHEET 2 A. R. MEYER ET AL- SHIFTING Post BINDER. FILED JUNE 18,.1921.

Dec. 19, 1922.

Dec. 19, 1922'. 1,439,479

A. R. MEYER ET AL.

SHIFTING POST BINDER,

FILED JUNE 18, 1921,

jig/0 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

insane ha rline. K an-renew) ELMERA. n-nnnc oroiiioeeo, tt11 oisns' e1 ges To wrLson-Jonns LOOSE LnArcoMPAniY, aoonieon-rirron or ILLINQIS.-

sHIr'rrne-Posr airtime.

Application filed June 18,

and ELMER A; REED, citizens. of. the United States, andl'esident's of the city ofChicago, mtne 'couiityof Cool: and State of IlllnOlS', have invented certain newand useful 1m provements in a Shifting-Post Binder; and V we do hereby declare that the following is 21 551111, clear, and exact-description. of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form. a

part'of this specification.

T his invention relates to loose-leaf binders in which a loose-leaf can be readily inserted or --removed, and in which the leaves are locked by longitudinally shiftable leaf-holding means as disclosed in; our co-pending application Serial No. 4:78.488, filed June 18, 1921, of which this invention is an improvement.

It is an object of this inventiontopro'vide I i illustratedv a loose leaf binder which may be releasable shifting means in combination with the shiftable leaf-holding means for the purpose of shifting thesame.

It is a further object to provide such' 'which.

means as can be associated with the movable elements foropening and closing the binder without many way interfering with the features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain preferred embodiments or" our invention and in which similar reference characters refer to similar features in the difi'erent views:

Figure 1 is a front plan view of a binder in which the shiftable posts are in unlocle. in position. I

igure 2 is afragmentary front plan View on an enlarged scale of one end of the binder with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of Figure j Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan viewof a leaves in unlocked position.

operation thereof and in which the binder curved .bolts tor the like which extend through 1921. ean nt iv'sy ee.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary] sectional 'view" throughonaside wallof thejbinder illus' trating the p'0st's."" V M 'Figure 6 is asection ,onthe line 6- -6 of Figure- 1 on slightly enlarged scale. Figure '3' an elevational-view of a leai-f holding post provided with shifting means.- .wi igure' 8. is section onthe line 8- 801 Figure 6. W I I Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan View partly in sectionof the post-shifting means. .idigure 310 is aview similar to Figure 1 illustratin a modified formof post-shiftin means. f I

' igure 11 is a'section on the line 1l11 of QfllI'e 10 onv a'slightly enlarged scale. I ,F igure 12'i a fragmentary section on a sli htlyenlarged scale on the line 12l2 of b Fr ure 10.- v

,r sshown in the drawings: in;theaceompanying drawings; we have etany suitable :constructionto whiohour inrention'is applied. The formof binder shown has. side walls 1, portions of are bowed outwardly, and horifianges 2 slidable beneath end 3 v which, in turn base or back tot the binder 'byzontal pl ates journal blocks 5. The blocks 5 rotatably support the screw element 6 provided with reversely threaded sections upon which shritable; elements or nuts are mounted slidably upportedear-holding support the i which are connected by'linlIs T to the side walls 1 lot the binder. By rotating said screw element and shifting the nuts, the

sidesofthe binder are brought togethenor "further;separated during/the operation of. what is termed closing or opening the binder.

The leaf-holding, means which. are posts in 5 the present illustrated instance aresupported on slidableplate members'S which are supported at 'a'proper heighten the inner sides of side walls by means of beaded studs or bolts 9,-the shanks'of which operate in; slots 10 (see Figure 5) inthe side walls of thebinder with the heads overlying the slots onthe outer surface: of said walls. The plate members'S are-arranged 1n pa1rs,one

7 pair comp'risingopposite plates on the side walls. A simple constructlon conslsts .in

using two pairs of plate members spaced :1

to completely close the binder.

proper distance apart at the transverse central plane of the binder, and each pair may support one or more pairs of leaf-holding posts 11 and 12 which telescope one in the other, each pair being thereby united by the posts supported thereby constitutes what we term a leaf-holding unit and as there are two pair of plate members in the present construction, there will be two adjustable or shiftable leaf-holding units. The structure of these leaf-holding units, however, forms no part of this invention except inso far as it cooperates therewith.

The structure of the present invention relates more directly to releasable means for shifting said units, being characterized by the fact that said means become disengaged from efl'ective operative relation with said units at certain stages. Referring now to Figures 1 to 9 which illustrate the first form of our invention, it will be noted that the shiftable elements or nuts 13 on the screw element 6 are of special. construction, being provided with latching grooves 14 for receiving the power arms 15 of shifting levers 16 pivotally mounted upon the brackets 17, extending inwardly from the plates The lever arms 18 of the shifting levers 16 have inclined ends which enter vslots 19 in abutments or plate members 20 depending from the end posts 12. Each leaf-holding unit has, therefore, an abut thereof. In the positions illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the leaf-holding posts are in unlocking position with respect to the mushroom, slots ofv the leaves as shown in Figure 4; and the sides of the binder are fully expanded. If the screw element 6 is now rotated to shift the nuts 13 inwardly, the leverslo will be oscillated on the pivots, the lugs 22 engaging the abutments 20 and shifting the same together with the posts and plate members 8 outwardly until the studs 9 reach the opposite or outer ends of the slots which is the locking position thereof and at which point the power arms can be carried out or disengaged from th grooves 1st as shown in Figure 9, sothat the nuts 13 can continue to be shifted inwardly desired to open the binder and bring the posts to unlocking position gain, the screw element 6 is rotated in the opposite direction to shift the shiftable elements or nuts 18 hen it is outwardly. As the inner walls of grooves are higher or longer than the outer walls, the power arms 15 of the levers 16 will be struck by these higher walls which are provided with camming SHILHCQS to cam said power into the grooves 1 1, at which time the lever arms 18 will be forced to swing 0'1- oscillate inwardly, the lugs 21 engaging the said abutments 20, shifting the same together with the posts 12 and plate members 8 inwardly until the studs 9 reach the opposite or inner ends of the slots 10 which is the unlocking position of said posts and the limit of the outward movement of the nuts 13. Accordingly, the leaf-holding posts cannot be brought to unlocking position until the binder has been fully expanded or open as shown in Figures 1 and 2 so that leaves cannot be inserted. or removed before the binder has been fully opened, preventing tearing or mutilating of the same by one who is'indifferent to completely opening the binder for the insertion or removal of leaves.

It is characteristic of the levers 16 that they are oscillated backwards and forward for shifting the leaf-holding units and that they are disengageable from the shiftable elements 13 when the units are in locking position. For these reasons we may term the levers 16, oscillatable and disengageable shifting devices that engage the abutments on the posts 12 for shifting said units.

In the second form of our invention as illustrated in Figures 10 to 12, 'oscillatable lever'devices 23 are attached to the shiftable elements 24 for shifting the leaf-holding units, and as the structures thereofare similar, only one has been illustrated in detail and i need be described. With reference to Figure 12, it will be noted that each lever device 23 consists of a segmental-shaped member pivoted at its lower end to the side of a nut 24 on the screw element 6, and provided upon its upper edge with spaced lugs 25 with an arcuate surface between said lugs, each end post 12 and therefore each leaf-holding unit being provided with a downwardly proecting abutment 26 resting upon the arcuate surface between said lugs 25. in order to hold either lug in engagement with an abutment 26, a yielding means has been provided, and as shown, the same comprises a plate spring 27 secured at one end to the side of the nut 24- adjacent its lever device 23 and being provided with a head 28 forming oppositely-directed shoulders against which a pin 29 on the lever device 23 bears when said.

In the drawings, the posts 11 and 12 are shown in unlocking position with respect to the entrance neck of the slots in the leaves little further outwardly, causing the devices to trip or snap over to the opposite sides with the other lugs 25 coming into engage-- ment with'theabutments 26. This operation is possible becausethe posts 12 and abut ments 26 are at their outer limits of movement, since/the pins 9 are at the outer ends of the slots 10' at this time. By rotating the screw element-6 in the opposite direction now,-- the shiftable eiements; or nuts '24s will move inwardly carrying the leaf-holding units inwardly to locking position with respect to the slots in theloose leaves. When saidunits have been shifted to the inward limits of their movement as defined by the inner ends of the slots 10, the devices 23 will be snapped or tripped over the beads 28 of springs 27 to the opposite side allowing the nuts or shiftable elements 24 to ride from under the abutments 26 to completely close the binder. Thus at the locking position of the leaf-holding units, the lever devices 23 and shiftable elements 2% become disengaged from the abutments 26 and leaf-holding units. "When the binder is again opened, the shiftable elements 24 will travel outwardly and when they reach the abutments 26, the inner lugs 25 will be in position to engage said abutments, the lever devices 23 being at that time in the position illustrated in Fig ure 12 in which position the outer lugs 25 can pass under the abutments 26.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the leaf-holding units of this second form of invention are not brought to unlocking'position until the binder has been fully expanded just as in the first form. It is also characteristic of the second form that the shiftable elements 24: become disengaged from operative relation with the abutments 26 when traveling inwardly from the looking position of said ieaf-holding units. It should also be noted that the shouldered beads 28 of the springs 27 cooperating with the pin 29 constitute yieldable fulcrums for the devices 28, thereby producing a leverage action, and that the leverdevices 23 are oscillated on their pivots to bring them into effective engagement with said abutments 26 during the backward and forward shifting movements of the shiftable elements 2a.

It is characteristic of this invention that when using equally spaced posts, the'leaves can be readily offset as described in our said co-pending application, adapting the binder both for pen and ink or mechanical bookkeeping.

"We are aware that numerous details of construction can be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of thisinvention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

W e claim as our invention:

Lln a loose leaf'binder having .slidably mounted leaf-holding units, the combination with the'shiftable elements for opening and closing said binder, of abutments on said leaf-holding units, and lever devices engaging said abutments and operable by said shift-able elements for shifting said units.

2. In a looseleafbinder having adjustably mounted leaf-hold1ng units, each unit being provided with an abutment, oscillatable lever devices for contacting against said." abutments, and means forshifting saiddevices. 1

3. In a loose leaf binder, a plurality of adjustable leaf-holding units, each having a downwardly extending abutment, oscillatable devices having projecting lugs for en: gaging said abutments, and means for operating said devices to bring said lugs into engagement with said abutments for shift ing said units.

t. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with the shifting elements for opening and closing the binder, of adjustably mounted leaf-holding units, each unit having a downwardly extending abutment, oscillatable devices for engaging opposite sides of said abutments, and means operable by said shiftable elements for shifting said devices.

5. In a loose leaf binder having shiftable elements connected to the sides thereof for expanding and contracting said hinder, the combination with a loose leaf having a plurality of slots, a plurality of leaf-holding units engageable in said slots and shiftable to locking and unlocking position with respect thereto, and means operable by said shiftable elements for shifting said units to unlocking position at the end of the maximum expanding movements of said ele ments.

6. In a loose leaf binder having shiftable elements connected to the sides thereof with means for supporting and operating said elements for expanding and contracting said binder, a plurality of shiftable leaf-holding units, and means engageable and disengage able with said elements for shifting said units.

7.111 a loose leaf binder having shiftable elements connected to the sides thereof with means for supporting and operating said elements for opening and closing said binder, a plurality of shiftable leaf-holding units, each having an abutment and a pivoted device cooperating with each abutment and having lugs engageable with opposite sides thereof, said pivoted devices being operated against said ahutments by said shiftable elements to bring said units into leaf unloek- &

ing position at the limit of adjustment of said elements for maximum expansion of said binder.

8. In a loose leaf binder having shiftabie elements connected to the sides thereof with means for supporting and operating said elements for opening and closing the binder, a shit'tabie leaf-holding unit having a depending abutment adjacent one of said shiftable elements, and a pivoted lever de- Yiee having an arm engageabie with opposite sides of said 2: ontment and a second arm adapted to be operated by said adjacent shittable element.

9. In a loose leaf binder the combination with a shittable element for expanding the binder, said element having a cam notch a shiitabie teat-holding unit having a depending abutment adjacent said element, and a pivoted lever having an arm engageabie With opposite sides of said abutment,, and an arm engageabie with said cam notch for operation by said element.

10. In a loose ieef bindenthe combination with a shiftabie element for expanding the binder, a shii'tabie leaf-holding unit having a depending abutment, and a lever device adapted for engaging said abutment and engageable and disengageable with said element.

11. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a shiftabie element for expanding the inden a shifteble leaf-holding unit and an operating device adapted for effecting a connection between said unit and element for shifting said unit at the maximum expanding movement of said element.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto- SLlbSCl'ib6Ci our names in the presence of two subsei'ioin; witnesses.

ARTHUR H. MEYER. ELMER A. REED.

\Vitnesses A. \V. Bnoss, R. B. ALDERsoN. 

